Archives for November 2005

'The team is stable. The team has a good mix of veterans and youngsters. The team is also doing this without a 100-percent lineup (Briere, J.P. Dumont have been battling injuries), so there is the potential for them to be even better. Scary thought.'

‘”We’ve been trying to get on a roll,” Biron said. “We went on a little skid there when we lost four in a row and five of six, but we’ve been able to bounce back and play well against some good teams. Pittsburgh had us going for a while, but we responded.”‘

‘”We actually switched him (Kotalik) off the one unit to get him off the top power play because they were taking that away,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “When they were taking that away, sometimes Jochen (Hecht) is in the slot for a shot and we put him on the off side. It was just a read on his part trying to find the hole. But the difference is, you would rather have Ales shooting.”‘

'To make matters worse, there is growing concern regarding J.P. Dumont's abdominal injury. Ordered to stay off the ice for two weeks, Dumont still is experiencing pain. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff for the first time categorized Dumont's problem as a possible sports hernia, a condition that recently ended Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb's season.'

'This shot could be Pominville's best to prove he belongs in The Show. The Sabres have been hit hard by injuries up front. Daniel Briere and J.P. Dumont are out indefinitely with torso injuries. Taylor Pyatt could be sidelined for three months with a broken wrist. "As a kid you dream of playing in the NHL," Pominville said. "I've been waiting for it all my life. Hopefully I'll be here long enough to grab a handle on it and never let go."'